1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to an article of footwear and, more particularly, to an article of footwear for active engagement with a platform.
2. Background of the Invention
Many activities are benefited by proper, dedicated footwear. For example, cycling, climbing, running, rowing, and the like, benefit from footwear designed for the particular activities.
FIG. 1 illustrates an article of footwear according to the related art. An article of footwear, for example, shoe 10 as shown in FIG. 1, generally includes an upper 12, a midsole 14, and an outsole 16. The shoe 10 is a common shoe for use with a platform or flat pedal in association with cycling, for example, downhill mountain biking. The upper 12, the midsole 14, and the outsole 16 may be attached according to various types and methods to define the general shape of the shoe 10. A tongue 24 is attached to the upper 12, and the tongue 24 and the upper 12 define an opening 18 through which a foot is inserted to wear the shoe 10. Closures, such as a strap 20 or laces 22, may be disposed over the tongue to secure and tighten the upper 12 about a foot.
As shown in FIG. 1, the outsole 16 has a generally planar shape such that a bottom surface 17 of the outsole 16, opposite the upper 12, has a substantially planar surface. The outsole 16 may include lugs and/or a tread pattern and maintain the substantially planar shape of the bottom surface 17 of the outsole 16. A side portion 19 of the outsole 16 may extend away from the bottom surface 17 up a side of the midsole 14 and/or the upper 12 to provide additional protection from wear. For example, the side portion 19 may extend up a front of the shoe 10 in a toe area of the shoe 10.
The shoe 10 of the related art, as shown in FIG. 1, provides a substantially planar bottom surface 17 of the outsole 16 as an area of a contact patch for contact of the outsole 16 with a surface, for example, a bicycle pedal. In order to increase the security of the contact between a shoe and a bicycle pedal, many shoes are provided with an outsole having a softer rubber, which decreases the lifespan of the outsole of the shoe due to the softer rubber wearing faster than a harder, more durable rubber. In many cycling applications, for example, mountain biking, outsoles of shoes are subjected to wear from pedals while riding, concrete and asphalt while walking, and even dirt and rocks while walking on a trail. Meanwhile, as a hardness of a rubber for an outsole is increased for an increased lifespan, a security of contact with, for example, a pedal, is decreased. As such, an outsole of a cycling shoe should be durable while providing sufficient security of contact with a pedal. Moreover, it is difficult for a barefoot to exert a maximum, uniform pressure onto the pedal due to the gap formed between the barefoot and the planar bottom surface 17 of the outsole 16. This also frequently weakens the frictions between the pedal and the planar bottom surface 17 of the outsole 16.